The cabinet of the curious emperors
by xXInnocentiaXx
Summary: My name is Heliogabalus. I like flowers and dresses - and I'm not like other emperors. I realized this fact as I met my imaginary friend. He is totally crazy, has a strange humor, but the strangest thing is, that he's like a ghost and I'm the only one who can see him. Who is he and what does he want from me? # characters from Hetalia World Stars / Caligula x Heliogabalus ;3 3
1. Impossible things

A lightly breeze moved the leaves of the trees and a rain of flower blossoms fell on the two lovers. He chuckled, then Heliogabalus catched one of the flower blossoms.

"So beautiful, but the flowers fade", he said and smiled sadly, while he leaned on his secret lover.

"Nothing lasts forever. One day you will cross the river Styx and live in Hades", this replied and caressed Heliogabalus' hair. It was so said. Why had Comazon even to talk about this now? Heliogabalus didn't feel well because of the conversation theme, and when he imagined his own death – two coins on his eyes and being burned – he noticed a feeling of sickness.

"I don't want to be burned up!", he replied a bit sullenly, what made Comazon just laugh a bit.

"But these just are our traditions", he countered and smiled slightly.

"Tze. I even don't believe in all these gods, I believe in my own god!", announced Hel smiling in a triumphant way, "his name is Elagabal"

"You don't have a little god complex now, nooo", replied Comazon and laughed.

"No, I'm just immortal", answered Hel and smiled a little.

"I wished it'd be true", said Comazon quietly and took him into his arms. Hel nodded. How great this would be - Hel had especially one fear – the fear of dying. He clinged a bit to Comazon and wished that this moment – as it was now – would last forever.

#

For sure this didn't happen. Not much later, Heliogabalus had some stress with the senate. Comazon – as first consul of Rome – was also there, but he had to hold his fire back. Even long glances could be treasonable. Because of lack of sleep; Hel to do something better with his lover, his eyelids weight heavier than ever until he fell asleep. The nap didn't last long, because one of the senators complained, that he should listen attentively to such an important issue. But instead of apologizing, Hel replied not very kindly.

"I don't mind what you talk about. Just stupid stuff again, I guess… I'm the emperor and I need my beauty sleep! So… now, you know it!"

Not much later he got onto a sedan and left the event earlier.

"You better shouldn't mess about with the senate", whispered one of his companions, but Hel just shrugged. He didn't mind these old guys. He was the ruler.

#

Rom sat homely in the Taverna, drunk a Cervisia and reflected on the situation of his empire, surrounded by his former emperors.

"I have a new emperor. He is funny", he told them and giggled, "he fell asleep in the senate and said to the senators, that he needed his beauty sleep…"

Nobody laughed, just one of them. Augustus, the first emperor, just throw an angry glance towards Caligula. This guy thought everything was so funny. Then he touched his own hair and sighed.

"Rome – if they don't respect the old traditions of the senate, I don't consider it to be good for you … it'll have bad consequences for the Roman Empire!", he said and looked at all the others. A new crisis was the last what he needed. Tiberius looked seriously and stressed same as Claudius, who hides behind his hood. Nero looked a bit interrogatory but surely he was just thinking about it. Just Caligula kept smiling and looked really amused.

"What is so funny, Caligula?", Augustus asked slowly. He already knew that he wouldn't be able to understand, but he didn't want to be laughed at during serious matters.

"Well, if he had the guts to bitch at the senate, then I would enjoy meeting him", replied Caligula and smiled mischievously, as all looked at him in a surprised way.

"Hahaha, good joke!", said Nero, smirking, while he ate some food.

Tiberius already exchanged worried looks with Augustus, and they looked back to Caligula.

"It wasn't a joke!", this said to Nero and confirmed every fear of the others. Augustus gave him a 'shake-my-head' and Tiberius looked very worried. Nero coughed, because of choking, and Claudius hitting softly his back.

"So what? What is even your problem? I didn't see him yet, but he's courageous, he's got style and he's also good-looking for sure, yeah… ? There!", said Caligula and let his fingers run through his hair.

"Yes, he's really pretty. He wears cute dresses with butterflies and he puts flowers in his jet black hair", described Rome the current emperor.

"Ooooooh!", Caligula squeezed, while the others just shook their heads. Augustus just had the hope, that Rome could frighten Caligula of with a description like that, but it just had made everything worse as before.

"Rome! For Jupiter's sake! How could you? This doesn't improve the situation very much!", Augustus got a little bit angry now, even if he always was more the calming one. Just as Tiberius held his hand onto his shoulder, he calmed down again.

"Tibe", he said, and took a deep breath, "as His father, I order you to talk to him."

"Yes", Tiberius replied and walked towards Caligula, who smiled and dreamed away.

"Caligula… eh…", Tiberius started kind of confused and scratched his head. He didn't like to talk to people and even with his son he had talking problems, because he quite changed. And Tibe even had the impression that Cal never listened to him anymore.

"Cal, please listen. I just want to say, that your little thoughts in your head maybe shouldn't happen in reality. I talk about your idea, what is… well a nice daydream and I even understand if you perhaps feel lonely, but Hel is the emperor, he has a lot of responsibility and work to do, you can't distract him from his duties, it's impossible, you have to stay here. You're even not allowed to go away. Exactly… ME, as your father, tell you that you stay-"

"Shut up, old man", was Caligula's only comment, before he turned to Nero.

"Nero, would you help me writing a little song to impress him?"

Augustus heard it all and just shook his head.

"Now, we got a problem…"


	2. Impossible meetings

Augustus looked stressed, the situation was well… complicated. His nervous thoughts prevented him of sleeping. Caligula wanted to get to know the current emperor, this was against the rules. As ancient rulers of Rome they were bound to the Taverna, this was the only place, where they could live. To go back to Rome was strictly forbidden and nobody knew what would be happening, if somebody acted against the rules. Well, sometimes one of them had been curious or yearning, and had been gone back to Rome. But then, no one had paid some attention to this because they had been very careful. But now, Caligula wanted to meet a living person. What would be going to happen then? Nobody could discover their secret place of living, there would be so much trouble then. Caligula was supposed to do some crazy stuff for sure. Augustus already got a headache, if he only imagined. But they would hold him back to go to Rome. Tiberius guarded the entry. Later on, he would take over. But only minutes later he heard something and he felt like he had to check that out. The door to Caligulas bedroom was open and then he found Tiberius at the door - sleeping.

"Where is Caligula?", he shouted a bit outraged and shaked his successor.

"…gone?", asked Tiberius, just awaking, and still sleepy.

"For sure he's gone!", Augustus got upset and let Tiberius go, "nothing works around here, all work lays on me and not even you are good for anything, Tibe!"

He walked around in an annoyed and nervous way and Tiberius blinked with his eyes, looking tiredly at Augustus and regretting his fault. What would his adoptive son get into, if he went to Rome now?

In Rome, there was a hot summer night and it even was so sticky, that Hel had serious difficulties to fall asleep. His lover had drifted of directly and now sleeping peacefully at his side. So the young emperor could only watch him while he was sleeping, because he wasn't tired at all. A little breeze came through the window and Hel enjoyed it. Probably it cooled down slowly, what would be really pleasant. Heliogabalus put his clothes on and went to the window, when he spontaneously decided to go outside, and take a little walk through the gardens. They were illuminated by torches, which dipped the flowers in a pale light. It was enchanting. A gentle smile took place on Hel's Face while he walked slowly through the gardens, inhalating the heavy and sweet scent of the flowers.

As he saw a new flower, brought here by his grandmother, he stopped and touched carefully one of the flowers. They were amazing.

Suddenly, he felt a light touch on his shoulder. But maybe it was just the wind, it felt so airy!

Anyway, he turned around – and noticed a strange young man.

"You … wow, you're Caesar…", was the only thing he said.

"And you? Who are you stranger? Why are you here in my gardens… at night?", Heliogabalus asked irritated and glanced at the stranger. He looked familiar to him for some reason.

"I'm somebody who wanted to meet you and that's why I'm here", the stranger replied mysteriously.

"You… don't know me yet?", Hel asked a bit offended. An instant later he thought that he wanted to get to know him personally. This was extremely bizarre. A stranger in his gardens, who wanted to get acquainted with him, just answering his question with nothing more than a smile. Actually, Heliogabalus should have felt alarmed, but he was just fascinated.

"Do you have a name, too?", he asked curiously, but got once more only a smile as answer.

"Well, guy-without-name, who wants to know me better, in my gardens, at night", he summarized the situation briefly and chuckled, "do you want to kidnap me or something? I hope not…"

"Don't be afraid. I already go too far just by talking to you, but I just couldn't help it", the stranger replied and looked right into his eyes for the first time.

Caligula was superficial, keen on money, and humans were just secondary for him. But something in the manners and eyes of Heliogabalus was unbelievably fascinating to him. Actually, he hadn't expected that the emperor, whose name he knew by accidentally reading on a coin, would even talk to him. But he seemed so friendly and innocent, as his own alter ego, which he lost due to illness… even if this was kind of nonsense, he just tried to understand, what just happened.

"You go a little bit too far, to turn up at my gardens and to talk to me, as you would know me already for years. But as long as you don't do something to me, we can have a little talk. You aren't one of those ugly guys, so I don't mind…", said the young emperor with his very high voice and wrapped one of his hair bands around his finger. Caligula looked at him surprised while he couldn't avoid to a blush a little bit. In spite of all he thought that this attitude was a bit naïve. But wasn't he naïve, too? He was sure, that he would be in huge trouble later, but already yet this little escape was worth it: And when he was allowed to stroll through the gardens with the emperor… even better.

"That's really generous, Emperor Heliogabalus", he replied and walked the way at his side.

"Oh, call me Hel. How am I supposed to call you?" the emperor asked him and Caligula had to consider this well. If he told him his real name, everthing would be much more complicated anyway.

"As you wish", he replied and smiled cheekily.

"Thanks to make things so easy", Hel said and laughed, "I'm bloody uncreative. But I'll try to come up with something then…"

"You aren't", Caligula said and gave him a smile, "you are different from all others. And above all you are…-", he tried to make him a compliment, but stopped, insecure, if it was appropriate.

"What am I?", Hel asked curiously and let his fingers run through his hair, but Caligula just showed him a smile and kept walking. The current silence between them was a bit strange, but not too awkward.

Once in a while their eyes met – what was in a way much more meaningful than any words. Were they enchanted by the gardens and the moonlight?

One single flower lay on the way. Caligula picked it up and gave it to Hel.

"You are lovely", he managed to pay him a compliment after all.

"…like a halfway trampled down flower?", Hel asked then, laughing, but also blushing.

"Damn! I'm just so crap at things like that…", Caligula thought aloud and for a moment he had the feeling to messed it up a lot.

"It doesn't bother me. I mean… how am I supposed to say this…it's absolutely not necessary for you to make all these efforts", Hel replied and the smile on his face looked visibly broken. Caligula sighed – he had messed things up.

"Maybe you think it's not necessary – I think you deserve every effort", he tried to save the situation, but things got worse, as Hel looked totally stunned at him.

"Thank you, you are so kind. It was a pleasure to talk to you – but now, I have to go back into the palace, right?", the emperor said a bit uneasily and already turned around. Caligula knew that he didn't want things to end up like that.

"Wait! Don't go!", he called and touched his arm softly. As Hel stopped, he took one of his hairbands and wrapped it around his finger, while he smiled gently at him, "I'm very glad, that I met you", he said quietly, but he noticed Hel feeling uneasy.

"I'm glad, too. But I really have to go back now. If my lover wakes up and I'm not there anymore, he worries a lot. Well…then…", the words just bubbled out of him and Caligula dropped the hairband suddenly. Frustration came over him. He stood there – frozen – not able to move. He could just stand there and watch silently, while Hel went back to the bed, which he shared with somebody else. The image he had of Hel, was destroyed now. If he just never got to know this information… Still a long time he stood there, until he went home - totally down.


	3. Impossible yearning

Augustus looked stressed, the situation was well… complicated. His nervous thoughts prevented him of sleeping. Caligula wanted to get to know the current emperor, this was against the rules. As ancient rulers of Rome they were bound to the Taverna, this was the only place, where they could live. To go back to Rome was strictly forbidden and nobody knew what would be happening, if somebody acted against the rules. Well, sometimes one of them had been curious or yearning, and had been gone back to Rome. But then, no one had paid some attention to this because they had been very careful. But now, Caligula wanted to meet a living person. What would be going to happen then? Nobody could discover their secret place of living, there would be so much trouble then. Caligula was supposed to do some crazy stuff for sure. Augustus already got a headache, if he only imagined. But they would hold him back to go to Rome. Tiberius guarded the entry. Later on, he would take over. But only minutes later he heard something and he felt like he had to check that out. The door to Caligulas bedroom was open and then he found Tiberius at the door - sleeping.

"Where is Caligula?", he shouted a bit outraged and shaked his successor.

"…gone?", asked Tiberius, just awaking, and still sleepy.

"For sure he's gone!", Augustus got upset and let Tiberius go, "nothing works around here, all work lays on me and not even you are good for anything, Tibe!"

He walked around in an annoyed and nervous way and Tiberius blinked with his eyes, looking tiredly at Augustus and regretting his fault. What would his adoptive son get into, if he went to Rome now?

In Rome, there was a hot summer night and it even was so sticky, that Hel had serious difficulties to fall asleep. His lover had drifted of directly and now sleeping peacefully at his side. So the young emperor could only watch him while he was sleeping, because he wasn't tired at all. A little breeze came through the window and Hel enjoyed it. Probably it cooled down slowly, what would be really pleasant. Heliogabalus put his clothes on and went to the window, when he spontaneously decided to go outside, and take a little walk through the gardens. They were illuminated by torches, which dipped the flowers in a pale light. It was enchanting. A gentle smile took place on Hel's Face while he walked slowly through the gardens, inhalating the heavy and sweet scent of the flowers.

As he saw a new flower, brought here by his grandmother, he stopped and touched carefully one of the flowers. They were amazing.

Suddenly, he felt a light touch on his shoulder. But maybe it was just the wind, it felt so airy!

Anyway, he turned around – and noticed a strange young man.

"You … wow, you're Caesar…", was the only thing he said.

"And you? Who are you stranger? Why are you here in my gardens… at night?", Heliogabalus asked irritated and glanced at the stranger. He looked familiar to him for some reason.

"I'm somebody who wanted to meet you and that's why I'm here", the stranger replied mysteriously.

"You… don't know me yet?", Hel asked a bit offended. An instant later he thought that he wanted to get to know him personally. This was extremely bizarre. A stranger in his gardens, who wanted to get acquainted with him, just answering his question with nothing more than a smile. Actually, Heliogabalus should have felt alarmed, but he was just fascinated.

"Do you have a name, too?", he asked curiously, but got once more only a smile as answer.

"Well, guy-without-name, who wants to know me better, in my gardens, at night", he summarized the situation briefly and chuckled, "do you want to kidnap me or something? I hope not…"

"Don't be afraid. I already go too far just by talking to you, but I just couldn't help it", the stranger replied and looked right into his eyes for the first time.

Caligula was superficial, keen on money, and humans were just secondary for him. But something in the manners and eyes of Heliogabalus was unbelievably fascinating to him. Actually, he hadn't expected that the emperor, whose name he knew by accidentally reading on a coin, would even talk to him. But he seemed so friendly and innocent, as his own alter ego, which he lost due to illness… even if this was kind of nonsense, he just tried to understand, what just happened.

"You go a little bit too far, to turn up at my gardens and to talk to me, as you would know me already for years. But as long as you don't do something to me, we can have a little talk. You aren't one of those ugly guys, so I don't mind…", said the young emperor with his very high voice and wrapped one of his hair bands around his finger. Caligula looked at him surprised while he couldn't avoid to a blush a little bit. In spite of all he thought that this attitude was a bit naïve. But wasn't he naïve, too? He was sure, that he would be in huge trouble later, but already yet this little escape was worth it: And when he was allowed to stroll through the gardens with the emperor… even better.

"That's really generous, Emperor Heliogabalus", he replied and walked the way at his side.

"Oh, call me Hel. How am I supposed to call you?" the emperor asked him and Caligula had to consider this well. If he told him his real name, everthing would be much more complicated anyway.

"As you wish", he replied and smiled cheekily.

"Thanks to make things so easy", Hel said and laughed, "I'm bloody uncreative. But I'll try to come up with something then…"

"You aren't", Caligula said and gave him a smile, "you are different from all others. And above all you are…-", he tried to make him a compliment, but stopped, insecure, if it was appropriate.

"What am I?", Hel asked curiously and let his fingers run through his hair, but Caligula just showed him a smile and kept walking. The current silence between them was a bit strange, but not too awkward.

Once in a while their eyes met – what was in a way much more meaningful than any words. Were they enchanted by the gardens and the moonlight?

One single flower lay on the way. Caligula picked it up and gave it to Hel.

"You are lovely", he managed to pay him a compliment after all.

"…like a halfway trampled down flower?", Hel asked then, laughing, but also blushing.

"Damn! I'm just so crap at things like that…", Caligula thought aloud and for a moment he had the feeling to messed it up a lot.

"It doesn't bother me. I mean… how am I supposed to say this…it's absolutely not necessary for you to make all these efforts", Hel replied and the smile on his face looked visibly broken. Caligula sighed – he had messed things up.

"Maybe you think it's not necessary – I think you deserve every effort", he tried to save the situation, but things got worse, as Hel looked totally stunned at him.

"Thank you, you are so kind. It was a pleasure to talk to you – but now, I have to go back into the palace, right?", the emperor said a bit uneasily and already turned around. Caligula knew that he didn't want things to end up like that.

"Wait! Don't go!", he called and touched his arm softly. As Hel stopped, he took one of his hairbands and wrapped it around his finger, while he smiled gently at him, "I'm very glad, that I met you", he said quietly, but he noticed Hel feeling uneasy.

"I'm glad, too. But I really have to go back now. If my lover wakes up and I'm not there anymore, he worries a lot. Well…then…", the words just bubbled out of him and Caligula dropped the hairband suddenly. Frustration came over him. He stood there – frozen – not able to move. He could just stand there and watch silently, while Hel went back to the bed, which he shared with somebody else. The image he had of Hel, was destroyed now. If he just never got to know this information… Still a long time he stood there, until he went home - totally down.


End file.
